I Dont Mind
by LuvD98
Summary: Clare has a lot on her plate. Everythings a mess, but she wont let anyone in... not even her best friend Adam. But what will happpen when a certain green eyed boy walks into her life? will she finally let someone in or will she push him away? Give it a chance!
1. Not so Bad After All

**Hey guys! This is my first fanfiction . just want to say GO ECLARE! Anyway, please read and review. Hope its ok. I know its not very long but if I get review I promise to make the next chapter longer. Plz tell me how and what I can do to improve! Thanks.**

**xxLuvD98xx**

I watched as the blood slowly trickled down my arm and to the floor. _Ahh…. much better. _It was 6:30 AM on supposed to be getting ready for school, but instead I'm up here in my bathroom wallowing in self-pity. I stare daggers at the razor in my hand. _What is wrong with me…. I'm so pathetic._

I look around the bathroom and sigh, not ready for the day ahead of me. Not ready for the ridicule. Just not ready. But I need to get going. I stand up and rinse off my fresh cut. _There goes my two week record…_ I take the razor and clean it off, erasing any evidence, and put it back in the cabinet. I proceed to clean up the red drops on the floor.

I walk back into my room and head to the closet. I pick out some dark wash skinnies and a long-sleeved, baby-blue V-neck. I then throw on my black vans, brush out my short auburn curls, and apply a bit of make-up, being careful to apply enough to cover the new bruise under my eye along with the others. I decide against eating, in hopes of not having to see _him_. He's probably down there in the kitchen right now pretending, or more like telling himself he is the perfect father, acting as if he didn't do anything wrong last night. Making himself breakfast before work to boost his energy, just so he can go screw his secretary. It's at these times I wish mom were here…. I quietly walk down the stairs, grab my green and black book bag, and tip-toe out the door.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Another day at Degrassi Community School…. Walking through the doors I see my be—EX best friend, Alli. She's talking with Jenna, faking a laugh as she _discreetly_ looks in my direction. Just the sight of it makes my blood boil. I remember when we used to laugh together. _Don't even go there…._

I try to ignore them as I walk pass to my first period of the day. English. The only bright spot in all this mess I call my life, well there is also Adam. He's in my English class too. We are both in the gifted program, therefore we have advanced grade 11 English, even though we are only in grade 10. Adam and I have been friends since 7th grade. He is FTM, but that has never and will never change the way I look at him. In my eyes he is a guy. We have stayed together through thick and thin.

As I'm making my way through the crowd in run right into a clad black chest. I mumble sorry and look up… I'm met with the most gorgeous set of green eyes. I take in the strangers face from his eyes, to his pink, plump lips, to his much defined jaw line. I realize I've been staring and look away, feeling the heat rise to my face. He chuckles, probably noticing my stare. He studies me for a second. I'm wishing I could hear what he's thinking. I hear him breathe a "see you around". I'm about to reply but when I look up he's already back in the swarm of students. All I see is his messy black mop of hair.

_Maybe this won't be such a bad day after all…._


	2. The Introduction

**Hey guys! Thank you to those of you who checked out my story. I hope you liked the first chapter and again, message me or leave a review to tell me your thoughts or give me your input please! I'm giving you guys a second chapter because…. Well I just feel like it XD. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: yeah sorry forgot to put this last chapter. Anyway, I don't own Degrassi or any of its characters, just the plot of this story!**

**xxLuvD98xx**

** xClarex**

I walk into English in a complete daze. The image of _him_ won't leave my mind… his jade green eyes, his scent, the sound of his smooth, velvety voice. _What is wrong with me? _I remember where I am and look around for Adam. He is sitting in the very back corner of the room and I head towards him. He looks up and waves, so I give him a smile in return.

"What has you all happy today" he asks as I sit down.

"Why do you ask?"

"You just seem different…. Happier"

"I guess I've just had a good morning." I say with a sly smile.

"O.K.…. cool. Hey, did you finish the homework for—"By this time I had completely tuned out of what he was saying. Don't get me wrong, I'm usually a very good listener, but I'm a bit distracted as u have probably noticed. I didn't even know the guy's name and he was all I could think about since our tiny encounter. I imagined what it would be like to be wrapped in his arms, having his strong hands on my hips…. _Stop it! You know what happened last time you got caught upon a guy, he broke your heart. Eventually, everyone does._

"Clare!" I snap back to reality and look to Adam. "Did you hear me? I said that I want you to meet someone at lunch. He's new here and really cool. I think you will like him."

"O.K., sure. I'll meet you at the usual." I responded a little uneasily.

"Awesome."

Mrs. Dawes walks in as the bell rings. "Good morning class. Settle down! Today we will be starting an essay about—Oh, Mr. Goldsworthy, nice of you to join us." I look up from doodling in my notebook and there he was…. "Please take a seat in front of miss Edwards."

Mrs. Dawes points to me. Mystery guy looks at me and smirks. That Damn, sexy smirk. _No, Clare._ He held my gaze as the heat rose to my face…again. Adam nudged me; I flinched involuntarily and look at him. He gave me a strange look, his eyes flickering between me and "Mr. Goldsworthy" as if asking a question.

"Mr. Torres, is there something you would like to share with the class?" All heads turned to look at Adam. Except him. He looked directly into my blue orbs.

"No ma'am. Sorry." I heard Adam say politely. Everyone turned their attention back to Mrs. Dawes. I stared at the back of his head and wondered what it would be like to run my fingers through his hair. _This is going to be a long class…_

xxLuvD98xx

45 minutes later the bell rang. I scrambled to put my stuff in my bag and hurried out the door. I quickly grabbed my stuff for my next class from my locker while people gave me strange looks. Some intrigued, some amused. I hated it when people put me in the spotlight. I wanted to yell out _Stop staring at me!_ But I didn't, I only had one thought in mind. To get to the bathroom.

I locked myself in the stall, took out my little razor, and rolled up my sleeve. I slowly slit a cut in my upper arm and watched the blood flow, careful to make sure none got on my shirt. I felt relief with every little bit of blood that flowed from the cut. I peeked out of the stall to make sure no one was there. I washed my cut, the razor, slapped on a Band-Aid, rolled down my sleeve, and calmly walked out of the bathroom. Just a couple more classes till lunch. A couple more classes till I could meet up with Adam and whoever he wants to introduce me to.

**Well guys, that's it. Hope you like it. Read and review. It's now 12:12 in the morning…. So goodnight! **

**xxLuvD98xx**


	3. Conversations and Confusion

**Hey guys! I'm back thank you to all you who have checked out my story so far! I especially want to thank everyone who review and the person who added me to their favorites, you know who u are . It took me a while to get this chapter right because there were so many ways I could take this story. I don't really have it planned out, just going with the flow. I'm sprinkling a little bit of Eli's point of view in here, so it might be a little rough. I hope you like it! Here is chapter three of I Don't Mind.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own degrassi or any of its characters, if I did, Eli and Clare would be together in the show!**

**Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx**

"_I'm not crazy; I'm just a little unwell. I know, right now you can't tell, but stay a while baby, then you'll see a different side of me…"_

**Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx**

**Clare pov**

I look under the big oak tree, outside the cafeteria for Adam. I see him seating at our table reading one of his comics. _Oh, Adam…_ I shake my head and walk towards him. I expected his friend to be here with him but Adam is alone. Adam looks so engrossed in his comic he didn't even look up. "Hey Adam." He jumps abruptly.

"Jeez Clare, warn me next time…"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you" I told him, a small chuckle escaping my lips "I take it you're enjoying your comic?" I smile a teasing smile; I always thought it was silly how infatuated Adam got with his comic book. I don't know anyone who loves _The Goon_ more than him. Although, now that I think of it, I've never really been friend with anyone who reads comic books, but Adam. He glares at me.

"For your information, I was at the best part." He argues.

I roll my eyes "so, so where is that friend of yours you wanted me to meet?"

"I'm not sure. He said he would meet me here…" he says, looking around. After a few seconds he smiles and waves someone over…. My breath hitches in my throat. It's him. _Really? I never get a break, do I? _

**Eli pov**

I can't get this girl out of my head. The image of her piercing blue eyes, her short auburn curls that frame her perfect milky-white skin, her pink, plump lips. She looked so innocent, yet so… tempting. _Focus Eli. _I can't let some girl distract me from my priorities. I'm outside the cafeteria, looking for Adam. He said to meet him under the big oak tree… finally, I spot him. There is also a girl sitting with him at the table. It couldn't be her…. _God, the world hates me._

**Clare pov**

Adam and Eli fist bumped, and then Adam turned to me. "Eli, this is Clare Edwards. Clare, this is Eli Goldsworthy." I already knew Eli's last name before it rolled off Adam's tongue. It has been stuck in my head the whole day.

"Hey." Why am I so nervous? I'm just talking to the guy. He smirked that smirk in return. As soon as he sat down, he and Adam started talking about _The Goon_ and how they are going to make another one soon. This kind of conversation usually boars me, but when Eli is talking, it's kind of cute. I listened to him as he talked passionately about, not only comic books, but Chuck Palahniuk. I immediately snapped my head up at the sound of that name. They turned, Eli looking at me strangely. I had to refrain from screaming my love for the dark author.

"Feel free to say something Edwards." Eli remarked smugly.

"Nothing. It's just I-I-

"She loves Chuck Palahniuk." Adam said plainly. Before I could say anything, Eli spoke.

"Really? _You _read Palahniuk?

"I hesitated, twisting my purity ring out of nervousness. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, it just doesn't seem like you would be into those kinds of book or authors. Most girls wouldn't be interested in something so…. Dark."

"Well, I started, mimicking him "I'm not 'most girls'." Eli's eyes softened, looking deeply into mine.

"I've noticed." He said seriously. He continued to look into my eyes, as if looking for something. "ahem." Adam cleared his throat flicking his eyes between the both of us. I looked down, trying to hide my blush.

Soon we fell back into a comfortable conversation. I listened to Eli talk about his favorite author, most of the also being my favorites, making sure to add my input. Adam tried to follow along, but eventually quit. I have never been able to talk to Adam or Ali about stuff like this. Actually, I never get to talk with anyone about this. Things like book and literature. It was refreshing. It may sound weird, but for the first time in months, I feel _Alive._ And it's all because of this one guy sitting in front of me.

**Eli pov**

"He is so passionate and detailed when it comes to his writing. He captures his audiences'' attention with raw emotion, and his twisted plots make you think." I can't believe I'm sitting here with one of the most gorgeous girls I have ever seen about some of the darkest writers in history. She's definitely right…. She isn't like most girls. She's different. I like it.

XXLuv98XX

RING. The end of lunch bell chimed. "Finally! I can't take you two and your smart talk anymore." Adam exclaims.

"Oh, come on. If I have to listen to you talk about your comic books all the time, the you can certainly listen to us talk about Chuck Palahniuk and Edgar Allen Poe for one lunch period." Clare states with an eye roll. I chuckle, watching them. Adam sticks out his tongue and Clare giggles as she does it back.

"Whatever, we should get going to class." Adam says, beginning to walk. Clare stumbles, falling forward. Instinctively, my hands fly to her waist to keep her from falling. She winces, her face twisting in pain. I immediately let go.

"Are you ok?" I ask in concern.

"Yeah, it's just I-I got to go. Later." She hurriedly walks away, fumbling with her bag.

"What's with her?"

"Get used to it man." Adam says as he walks by gesturing me to fallow. On the way and for the rest of the day, I think about Clare. How only with one conversation, every worry in my mind seemed to drift away. There is just something about her.

**So? How was it? I know it was kind of filler. Too long? Am I dragging it out too much or is it ok? Did you like Eli's pov? I could probably do an Adam pov if any of you want me to. Give me some feedback; remember, this is my first fan fiction, **


	4. Confrontations and Invitations

**Hey guys. I've decided to update for you tonight…. Although I meant to do it way earlier today. I was kind of busy. All I wanted to do was stay home and write a new chapter, but I had to wait till like 6:00 and it took me a while to write down this chapter in my journal. It turned out to be 9 pages in my notebook! My hand hurts… anyway, her is chapter 4 of I Don't Mind. This chapter is kind of a filler, but you get to find out more about Clare's home life… and a bit of Eli's past, so watch out for that. Enjoy! Oh, and sorry for the lack of Eli…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi; if I did Imogene wouldn't exist…**

**Clare pov**

Ring! I stand as the end of school bell rings. I gather my materials and head to the door. In the hallway, I see Fitz. He is picking on Wesley. I slowly inch towards them as Fitz takes Wesley's glasses, breaks them in half and throws them to the floor. He pushes Wesley into the locker with a BANG. I cringe, knowing exactly what THAT feels like. _Poor Wesley…. _Fitz laughs and starts to walk away. He sees me watching and walks towards me….

"What are you looking at _Saint Clare_?" he asks me with a humorous tone. _Ugh, can't he just leave me alone? _I bit my lip and said nothing. "Yeah, that's what I thought, prude." I wince as he bumps into my bruised shoulder when he walks pass me. I walk over to a frightened Wesley and pick up his now broken glasses.

"Are you ok?" I ask, handing them over. He nodded, mumbling thanks before walking away. He looked over his shoulder and shyly gave me a little smile before turning the corner. I look around and notice some people watching. The heat rushes to my face as I push past the trying to get to my locker fumble with the lock, grab what I need and rush out the Degrassi doors.

XXLuvD98XX

I'm on my way home and dread over the fact of what's waiting for me. Who's waiting for me. I walk a little slower, wanting to be away for as much as possibly, and knowing my house wasn't much of a distance pass the Dot. Before I know it, I'm standing in front of the red door to my cozy, little looking house, but inside, its anything but that. Inside, I'm faced with a monster called Randall. Better known as my _Father._ I open the door slowly, sticking my head in slightly before entering. I don't hear the TV. That's a good sigh. I walked slowly from the foyer to the living room. I didn't see him among the many other things like the fast food bags, the empty beer or wine bottles. This is how it always is. The only difference today was, not only that he wasn't there; glass was shattered on the hardwood floor near the coffee table. It was a picture frame. I picked up the two ripped halves of the picture and put them together.

It was my dad, sister, and I when we were in Hawaii. When our family was happy, near perfect. We were all together, including mom. It was one of the best vacations I had ever had…. One of the few happiest moments I had ever had before my family was torn apart. Just like this picture. Tears came to my eyes and I threw the picture back to the ground. I cried there for a minute until I heard footsteps from the top of the stairs.

"Stop crying bitch!" my head snaps up at his voice. Randall. "And clean this mess up!" He's slurring and stuttering. _Great…. He's drunk. _It's not a surprise, it just makes everything…. So much worse. "NOW!" he bellowed. I jump my heart beating out of my chest. I stand on my feet and look at him as he stumbles down the stairs. I meet his bloodshot eyes, which means he is tired and impatient. He scowls. I hurry to the kitchen, careful to not step on the glass in the living room. I grab the dustpan and broom to clean up the shards of glass, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. I roll up my long sleeve shirt, not caring if my dad sees or cares himself. _He's too drunk to notice anyway. _I kneel, beginning my job, until suddenly I'm pushed. I land on my forearms right in the pile of glass. I screech in pain as the glass sticks into and slices my arms. I look at them only to see blood ooze out.

I'm then yanked up to my feet by my right arm and spun around to come face-to-face with my father. He shakes me, the proceeds to push me back to the floor. On the way down my hip hit the corner of our old coffee table, creating a rip in my shirt, and a big, bloody gash. "You're so worthless, weak. I can't believe you're my daughter. Look at you. Laying there like a big baby." He sneered at me, his slurring worse than before. "Bitch!" he kicks me. Again. And again, before leaving me on the floor writhing in pain, the wind knocked out of me. I feel helpless like the pain will never stop. And I don't know what hurt worse. His kick or his words….

XXLuvD98XX

**Eli pov**

I'm sitting at my desk trying to do homework. That's a little hard considering my mind is only focused on one thing. Clare Edwards. The beautiful, mysterious, yet innocent looking girl who has haunted my thought all day. The one who I have no doubt will be in my dreams tonight. One thing I don't get is how something about her looked so familiar, yet I know for a fact we have never met before…. I would have remembered that. Those big, blue eyes…. My eyes flick to the picture on my desktop. My sister, I look at her eyes. That's it. They're eyes are so much alike. Both big, blue, and sparkly. My sisters eyes are…._were…._ beautiful and full of curiosity, but Clare's hold something else, and I intend to find out what that is.

I wonder what Clare is doing right now? Probably homework, knowing her. I wonder if she has a FaceRange. I logged into my account and typed in Clare's name in the search bar. Her profile popped up in seconds. Her picture is of her leaning up against the oak tree we were under at school today. She was facing away from the camera, looking into the sunset. I have to say, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen._ Ugh…. She is turning me into a mush ball…. _I quickly send her a friend request.

XXLuvD98XX

**Clare pov**

I hop out of the shower making sure I washed of all the blood from my body. I look in the mirror taking note of the new bruises formed on my stomach and side. They are bluer and black compared to the older ones turning a more yellowish color. I cringe, disgusted with my own horrifyingly ugly image. I throw on my PJ'S and hear a ding come from my computer.

I walk into my room and check. I have a friend request? From… Eli. I can't help the smile from forming on my face and for a minute I forget about the pain. I quickly accept it and begin checking my emails.

**Eli's pov**

About 10 minutes later I give up and decide to go to sleep. Until my computer dings. I rush over to it, hoping it's what I think it is. She accepted it. I smiled to myself and decide to message her.

**EliGold94-** hey Edwards. Thought you were ignoring me for a minute there ;)

I watched a minute, wondering if she would reply. My computer dinged.

**Edwards95-** I would NEVER…

**EliGold94- **ditto. What are you doing?

**Edwards95- **just got out of the shower.

_Well, that didn't help my train of thought…._

**EliGold94-** ….

**Edwards95- **don't be gross Eli. : P

**EliGold94- **ok, seriously. Care to join me for a midnight stroll?

**Clare's pov**

Did Eli just ask me to go on a stroll with him at midnight? I checked the clock. Yep, midnight. _Well, it IS Friday…. _I hesitated before sending him my reply.

**Edwards95- **when will you be here?...

I bit my lip in anticipation.

**EliGold94- **Umm, how 'bout now?

_EliGold94 has signed off._

A few minutes later I heard a car. I quickly put on some shoes and quietly went down the stairs, checking to make sure my dad was in his room. I guess the odds were in my favor…. I walked outside. _A Hearse? _I didn't realize I actually said that out loud until Eli chuckled and said "surprise?"

"It's so Eli-like" I stated and giggled. He sighed.

"His name is Morty and nice PJ'S" he said with a smirk. I blushed and looked down at my blue sweats and black low-cut tank top. I really should have changed…. "Ready to go?"

"I thought you said we were taking a walk?"

"Yes, but we have to drive there first"

"But—"

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"I said Do you trust me?" he asked again as he held out his hand. Since my dad started hitting me, I hate physical contact and usually try to avoid it as much as possible. But with Eli, everything feels different. I feel different.

"Yes?" I didn't intend for it to come out as a question. I held out my hand as he opened the door to Morty and helped me in. the contact sent shivers down my spine, like nothing I have ever felt before. There is just something about Eli.

**ok guys that was it! How did you like it? if i dont get feedback i guess that means you dont want me to continue this story... so PLZ! read and REVIEW :)**


	5. Discoveries

**Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long to those who have been waiting! I have been busy lately. I thought I would have a lot of time during spring break to write a couple chapters but I've had a lot to do. I'm determined though. I will most likely have at least one more chapter posted by the end of this week, k? I also wanted to note that I only got 3 reviews for my last chapter…. I'm not really sure if you guys are feeling this story, so PLEASE, leave a review. Do you want me to keep writing? Any suggestions or ideas for this story, or even a new story? Anyway, on with the story. Enjoy chapter 5 of I Don't Mind!**

_**Shout outs**_**:**

**Leah****- thank you so much for the reviews and yes, please share my story :)hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**

**DramaLovingMisfit****- just wanted to tell you thank you for sticking with this story and always leaving me reviews.**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I don't own degrassi or any of its character, but I wish I did.**

**Eli POV**

I decide to take Clare to my spot. I haven't shared this with anyway, not even Adam, just _her_. I usually come out here to get away, clear my head. It always calms me down. I don't really know why I have this sudden edge to bring Clare here, to let her into my world. She's different, like no one I have ever met before. There's no way to describe her. But I do know that there is more to her than just a pretty face. I glance at the passenger seat where Clare is looking out the window. I try to escape my thoughts and focus back on the road. I notice she's biting her lip, a nervous habit of hers, which at the moment isn't helping my concentration. We turn onto the dirt road and Clare faces me.

"Um, Eli? Where are we?"

"Patience Clare. Well be there soon. Don't worry. I'm not going to take advantage of you in the woods, miles from town, in the dark, at night…."

"Elijah Goldsworthy!—"I chuckle, loving the way my name sounds coming from her lips.

"Relax, Clare. I was kidding. I would never do anything to hurt you." I hadn't realized what I said until I looked out of the corner of my eye at Clare. Her face is tinted red, a small smile adorning her face, bashfully looking out the window. _Score one for Eli. _A couple minutes later we're here. I turn off the car, but Clare looks so deep in thought, she doesn't notice. I clear my throat to get her attention. She jumps a bit and looks at me, but we don't say anything. I use that moment to take in her crystal blue eyes. Before I get lost in my own little world of Clare, I get out of Morty and walk over to her side to open the door for her. I hold out my hand and she takes it.

"I guess chivalry isn't dead" she muses. I smile and close the passenger door. "Oh my word…. Eli." She gasps.

"Like it?"

"Like it? It's amazing…." I watch as she walks over to the ruins of the old abandoned church. She runs her hand lightly over the wall as she walks around admiring the beauty of the ruins. Vines with exotic looking flowers climb up and around the clay-like crumbling walls. They remind me of Clare. Rare, beautiful, and mysterious. I walk up behind Clare. She turns around, our chests colliding. I feel her let out a shaky breath against my throat that sends tingles down my spine. I lock eyes with her. She mumbles a sorry, backing away, only to come in contact with the wall behind her. I lean in close…. And reach next to her head and pick a flower.

"This isn't all Edwards" I smirk and put the flower behind her ear. She smiles shyly and lets me lead the way.

**Clare POV**

As I follow Eli, I try to calm the blush that seems to be permanent whenever I'm around him. He gets me so flustered. With his smirk, his laugh, his deep jade eyes that bore into mine…. Sometimes I think he does these things on purpose just to mess with me. I trip over a stump and feel someone steady me by the arm. I flinch at the contact, the new cuts stinging. But I realize its Eli and remind myself to calm down.

"Are you ok? You seem a bit distracted" I smile at his true concern.

"Yeah. Thanks." I look around, realizing just how long we have been walking. I see lights past Eli, who is currently standing in front of me. I slowly walk past him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" we are on a giant hill, or should I say cliff, overlooking the city of Toronto. I gasp as I take in its beauty, of the light, the buildings, the traffic, the park, all in one view.

"Yeah," I manage to respond "it's beautiful. Everything looks so small from here, so peaceful." I take a step closer, admiring the view, but Eli stops me. He pulls me back by my hand.

"Be careful, not too close" Eli looks legitimately frightened for my safety, so I take a step back and stand with him, wondering what got him so freaked out. I wasn't standing that close I didn't think…. "I'm sorry. I just take extra precautions since—"

"Since what?" I ask curiously.

"Nothing. Never mind."

"Eli, you can tell me. Anytime, I want you to know that, but I understand if you don't want to talk about it right now." I shiver as the wind picks up. _I'm so stupid; I didn't even grab a jacket. _Eli notices.

"Here" He says as he wraps his black leather jacket around me. It smells just like him. I look away trying not to make it obvious that I'm sniffing his jacket. Eli sits down on the grassy hill and pats the spot next to him. Eventually, we lay down, looking at the stars in silent for a few minutes. I think about how perfect being with Eli feels. When I'm with him, I feel safe and calm.

"Her name was Lilly." I turn my head to look at Eli, confused. "My sister. She was full of life. She was smart and curious, just like any other nine year old. She was only nine when her life ended."

I'm speechless…. He's still looking up at the stars, clearly trying to hold back the tears. I gently take Eli's hand in mine and intertwine our fingers.

"It happened about two years ago. She didn't deserve it. She had so many more experiences ahead of her…. I would bring her up here all the time. We would play hide and seek, listen to music; she loved it when I chased her around. I know it sounds stupid for a 14 year old to play hide and seek and tag with a nine year old," I shook my head, thinking of how sweet that is "but we were really close" at this point, stray tears are running down Eli's cheek. I want so desperately to be able to take all of his tears and pain away. "Anyway, one day we were up here listening to music and messing around. She didn't like my screamo, so she grabbed my iPod out of my hand and ran. Naturally, I ran after her. I noticed she was a little too close to the edge, but before I could even yell for her to get away from it, she stumbled and lost her balance." Eli looks into my eyes. "She fell. I couldn't get to her on time. She died instantly from the impact of the fall. For months, I blamed myself, so my parents sent me to therapy. In time I got better at accepting it, but the ridicule at school continued. Kids calling me a killer, hence the reason I'm now at Degrassi."

"That's terrible, I'm so sorry Eli." I didn't realize until now that tears were streaming down my face.

"Why are you sorry? It was no one's fault. I know that now." He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand.

"You didn't deserve that, to go through something so horrible. You're a great guy Eli and I hate to see you hurt. Thank you for telling me." I scooted closer to him, resting my head and hand on his chest. He tensed at first, almost making me get up and hide my face in embarrassment and what I thought would be rejection. But instead, I felt his strong arms wrap tightly around me. I sighed in contentment, loving the feeling of being wrapped in Eli's arms. I closed my eyes as he started stroking my hair.

**Eli POV**

_I could get used to this. _Here I am after I just told the most mesmerizing girl I have ever met about the most traumatizing thing that has ever happened in my life, feeling completely happy. But I'm not surprised, I am with Clare. Clare is laying her head on my chest. I was surprised at first because usually she avoids all physical contact. I look down at her, unable to keep the smile off my face, and start running my fingers through her soft, auburn curls. The full moon is shining on her face and her eyes are closed. That's when I notice it. _What the hell_? I look closer. There is a big dark spot right on the side of her face next to her eye, and right under her temple. I also see a dark spot peeking out from under my jacket where her shirt rises up on her stomach. _Are those bruises?_

"Clare….?"

**Cliffy! Haha. So, tell me whatcha think!**

**Love, **

**LuvD98**


	6. Never Giving Up on You

**Hi guys! I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated. I didn't have a computer for the longest time but guess what? I finally got a new laptop! Which means…? Yep! More updates! I feel so bad for letting those of you who like and read this story hanging for so long (and with a cliffhanger) please forgive me? But from now on I will try to update maybe weekly or every other week. Which do u guys prefer? I started school recently so before things get too hectic in my life, I will update as much as I can. Again, this is my first fan fiction so bear with me here. And please! If u have ANY suggestions or constructive critisism I would greatly appreciate it!**

**On a lighter note, who else is estatic that eclare is finally back together?! No more Jake nonsense and I can't believe what Asher did to Clare! I'm so glad she didn't put those pictures of her on the computer. And Eli was such a good boyfriend supporting her and trying to do what was best for her okay, sorry for the long authors note! Now on to chapter 6 of I Don't Mind. Read, review, and enjoy! More reviews=faster chapter **

**SHOUTOUTS****: **** . 21****- thank you so much for the review! You really made my day and motivated me to write more**

**KieraChambers****-thank you! I will write as much as possible.**

**The Cliffhanger Girl****- for starters, I'm so glad you liked it. That means a lot since you are one of the writers who inspired me to start writing fan fiction! And second, I can't believe that you started reading my story! And I hope you continue reading. If I can do anything better or should change something please let me know. I would love your input.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi**

**Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx **

_And when your needing your space, to do some navigating, I'll be here patiently waiting, to see what you find, 'cause even the stars they burn, some even fall to the earth, we've got a lot to learn, God knows were worth it. __No, I won't give up. __I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily. I'm here to stay and__ make the difference I can make.__ –_ Jason Mraz.

**Xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx **

**LuvD98**

**Clare's POV**

"_Clare…"_ I heard Eli say. Something in his voice changed. He sounded hesitant and… worried? I looked at him quizzically, waiting for him to say something. He gently stroked the spot under my temple, studying it. My breathe hitched, my mind was racing…_ I didn't… he didn't see…oh my gosh! How could I be so stupid? _I gazed into Eli's eyes. His worried look quickly changed to cold and stoic. "Who the hell did this to you?" he exclaimed murderously.

"What do you mean" I played dumb

"Don't pull that crap, Clare! Clearly someone has hurt you. Now, who?" he demanded.

"Oh, that..." I stuttered "I just bumped my head on the side of my shelf. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad? You have a blue and purple bruise on the side of your head the size of a golf ball and you call that 'not that bad'?"

"I'm clumsy, you know that..."

"That doesn't explain the cut on your shoulder or the bruise on your side, does it?" I quickly pulled down my shirt and tightened the jacket around me. He softened his voice and said "you don't have to deal with this alone, Clare. Just let me help you." At this point he is kneeling in front of me and put his hand on my shoulders gently. I looked away, the tears forming in my eyes about to open the flood gates. "Who's been hurting you, Clare?" I gazed back into Eli's eyes and saw the one thing I dreaded most to see… pity.

I shook his hands off my shoulder and quickly stood to my feet. It's nothing, Eli! I don't need your help or your pity! What I need is for you to drop it and leave me alone!" I screamed. Eli's face was full of shock at my outburst. "Just take me home… please." I said barely above a whisper.

"Clare-"

"No! Take me home. Now!" I was done with his interrogation. How could this night go from so… amazing to so horrible?

**Eli's POV**

I looked out into the view of Toronto city from the clifftop, processing the information I just gathered about this sweet beautiful girl standing before me. How could someone do this to her? Better yet, who would do this to her? Her dad? Ex-boyfriend maybe? I don't know, but what I do know is that I'm going to find out. And make this right, for Clare.

"Let's go" I said softly to Clare. She quickly and silently stalked over to Morty, clearly still angry that I pushed the subject. But could you blame me? Someone I care about immensely is in potential danger. I slowly followed suit and started the hearse. It was silent on the drive to Clare's, leaving me alone to my thoughts. _I can't believe her…_ she doesn't even trust me enough to tell me what's going on… after I completely put my faith in her and told her about Lilly. I know it would take a lot for her to just let me in, but she should know that I care about her and her safety. I just… can't let her live like she is. Once she tells me, whoever is doing this to her will have hell to pay…

**Clare's POV**

"_I can't believe him…"_why did he have to keep pushing the subject? Couldn't he see that I wasn't willing to share? Couldn't he see how much it hurt me to even think about what goes on in my own home? I know he just wants to help me… but I am not going to be his charity case. I don't want him to pity me. I don't know if we could ever be the same again… can't we just reverse time and go back to when we were content in each other's arm looking over the lit up city? Now that he's seen the real me he probably thinks I'm hideous and gross, and I won't ever get that chance again. Why did my dad have to be such a monster… and why did I have to be such a coward? It's my fault… my fault I can't be normal or have a normal life, my fault my mom is gone, my fault my sister is gone… my fault me and Eli can never be together… compared to everything I've been through, yelling at Eli tonight was one of the most heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do. I had to though, it makes things easier. If I push him away now, he won't have a chance to leave me later on when he realizes how much of a train wreck I am and make it harder for me.

"We're here" Eli said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I tried to compose words but ended up nodding when nothing came out of my mouth. I opened the door and made it all the way up to my door, hand on the doorknob, when I heard Eli yell my name. He came jogging up to me and came to a stop right in front of me, our chests touching, while I my back was gently pushed back against the door. Eli gazed into my eyes and said the last thing I thought would come out of his lips…

"I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me. Whatever you are going through, I will find out and we can go through it together. I just need you to know, Clare Edwards, I am all in." He gently kissed my temple and sauntered of to Morty. He gave me a final wave before he drove off into the night…

**And... Scene! So? How was it? I wanted to give you guys a really good chapter, was it up to pare? Please leave a review and thank you so much for reading!**

**-LuvD98**


	7. Too Much

**Hey guys! I hope you all liked the last chapter! Thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate the feedback just letting you guys know, I'm trying my hardest to update as soon as I can between high school, and my social life. Also, my friend is staying with me for a week starting Friday, so during that time I will not be able to write… therefore I'll TRY to get two chapters posted this week before she starts staying with me. Sound good? Anyways, enjoy chapter 7 of I Don't Mind! Bye **

**SHOUTOUTS: **** HopelesslyInLove13- thank you for reviewing! I'm glad my story is entertaining you, and I hope it continues to **

**eclareforever101- thank you! And by the way, I really like the username!**

**The Cliffhanger Girl-thanks for the tip! I'll try to focus on that a little more from now on.**

**SummerGirl660-thank you! I'm glad you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi. If I did, Asher would have been killed by Eli.**

**Clare's POV**

I stared down at the street several minutes after he had driven off into the distance, still processing the very sweet, yet very scary words he had shared with me seconds before he had left. _He wasn't giving up…_ I slowly walked into my house looking around the corner from the foyer into the living room. Nothing. I walked through the living room into the kitchen and found a note on the counter…

_Clare, _

_Don't wait up. On a business trip._

_Be back in a week. Make yourself useful while I'm gone and clean the house._

_-Randall_

Tears came to my eyes as I read oh so considerate note _Randall_ had left me. Ever since mom left, he's insisted that I call him Randall, only when he's drunk or high does he actually pull the father card. I angrily crumpled up the card and threw it in the trash. It's probably not even a business trip! He's probably just staying at a sleazy hotel for a week with one of the slutty interns from his work. I don't know why he tries to hide it… I find the evidence all the time in my own house. Thongs in between the couch cushions, which were definitely not mine, random items of clothing and make up in his bathroom that he makes ME clean, some lady was stupid enough to leave her purse with her id, drivers licenses and credit cards in the hallway with her clothing sprawled across the hallway floor while her and my dad had a good time in the bedroom about the time I was getting home from school. Naturally I wanted to know who it was so I dug through her purse and pulled out her id. Her name was Sophia Mills. I continued going through her purse, finding that she was 26 and was married with three children. _How could people do this to their families?_ The noises got louder, directing me straight back to my room, crawling under my covers, scarring me for the rest of my life. Couldn't they have at least done that while I was out of the house? _At least I don't have to deal THAT for a week_… a smile came to my face as this thought came to my mind, but quickly faded when my conversation with Eli came back to me…

I thought about what he told me before he drove off tonight, the tragic incident with his sister and how much it took for him to tell me that, how I was so stupid as to not cover the bruises up before I left the house with him, the moment he asked me about it, the pity in his eyes…. These thoughts made me sick to my stomach. Tears rolled down my face. I quickly headed to my bathroom and grabbed the razor from my cabinet, rolled my sleeve up and put the razor to my upper arm. I gasped at the initial pain but soon relaxed at the sudden relief. I let out all the sobs I was holding in as I cut deeper. I cried for my mom, I cried for my dad, I cried for my sister, I cried for my old friend Ali, I cried for my best friend Adam and all we have gone through together…I cried for Eli, but mostly, I cried for myself. I clearly was wrong about being out of tears, because here I am once again crying my eyes out… all because I can't take control of my life. I wish my mom was here, she would know exactly what to tell me, but no. she's out with her new husband and step-son somewhere far away from her, far away from me. Why do I always push people out of my life? Why do I ruin everything? It's not possibly for me to have a normal relationship with anyone with them getting hurt, by me. I made my mom leave when she couldn't stand the fact that her daughter looked deformed and disgusting when my father started smacking me around. She couldn't take it, and I wasn't strong enough. So one day, I came home and she was gone, and took all her stuff with her, leaving me and Darcy with that monster. But it's my fault… if only I could have realized how much pain I was causing her earlier.

I cried out in pain as the razor went deeper. Coming back to reality, I dropped the razor, blood pouring out of my arm like a crimson river. I grabbed a wad of toilet paper and pressed it to my arm, willing all the pain to go away, not just physically, but mentally too. I slid own then wall in a slow, drowsy manner. A couple minutes later when the bleeding stopped, I got up slowly and looked into the mirror. I was a mess. I had tear stains on my face, my eyes were bloodshot and my hair disheveled. Not only was I a mess, but my bathroom to. There was blood on the counter, drops of blood on the floor along with the bloody razor which left lines of blood from when I dropped it. I numbly cleaned up and hopped into the shower. The shower was always one of my favorite places, because no one could hear your sobs and sniffles above the sound of the water hitting the tile. Emotionally and physically drained, I got out of the shower, got dressed, and crawled in bed. My eyelids were heavy and I was almost asleep when my phone buzzed. I grabbed it off the nightstand, squinting at the bright light. My eyes adjusted and I saw that I got a new text from…Eli…

**From: Eli**

**Hope ur night is goin ok… im here if u need me.**

**Sweet dreams, Blue Eyes.**

I sighed, conflicted. I put my phone back on my nightstand and let my mind wander. Eli is so… different. I like it, really like it. So much, it scares me. I can't get attached. He can't get attached. He deserves better. And even though I know this, part of me doesn't care. Part of my wants to go against all I believe in and just… be with him. In his arms, my lips on his. He is the only thing that makes me forget all the bad. When im with him, it's like nothing even exists but us. My heart tightened at the thought of never being able to be with him. I know I need to get used to that thought but it's so hard. He is my drug, my personal prescription. I don't care how much I have to go through though, as long as he gets what's best for him. And what's best for him isn't me. Some girl will make him happy. I can't do that. I can't be selfish and take that opportunity away from him. He already has baggage of his own; he doesn't need any more from me. With that, I drifted off into a sea of blackness.

**Eli's POV**

**To: Blue Eyes**

**Hope ur night is goin ok… im here if u need me.**

**Sweet dreams, Blue Eyes.**

I looked back over the message to make sure I didn't make a mistake and sent it in hopes she would read it and make her realize that im serious. Im not giving up. There is something special about Clare and im going to protect her with whatever it takes. I hope she understands that. She deserves someone who cares about her like I do. I can take care of her and I will… no matter what. I drifted off into an uneasy sleep, worrying about my sweet Clare, wanting nothing more than to have her safe in my arms tonight.

**So? I hope you guys liked it. It's probably REALLY rough, and I apologize immensely for that. I didn't write it down in my notebook or planned it before I typed it like I usually do. I just wrote what came to my mind. Anyway, any suggestions or something you would like to see in this story? Feel free, leave a review! It makes my day when I get a review from you guys... oh and sorry its kind of short... :( thats what happens when u rush. **

**Bye! – LuvD98**


	8. avoidence

**Hello lovely people! Thanks for the reviews sorry for the long wait on this chapter… I didn't have time when my friend stayed with me to upload. Ill cut this short! Enjoy chapter 8 of I Don't Mind! :)**

**SHOUTOUTS: **** alicia4568- don't worry! There is more to come :)**

**Eligolds445-im going to try to update as soon as possible from now on! :) Thanks for the review!**

**Perfectlybroken66- hi! I'm definitely going to try to make this a long successful story. Thank you so much for reviewing and sharing with me how reading affects your life! :)(I also don't know what I would do without all those amazing stories out there! Thanks for reading my story, I hope that you continue to and enjoy the chapters to come **

**DISCLAIMER:**** I don't own Degrassi!**

**Eli's POV**

I walked into school on Monday worried and distant. I slowly walked to my locker, hoping to see Adam there. Unfortunately he wasn't, meaning I was going to have to face Clare alone today. I didn't get it…. She ignored me all weekend; my texts, my calls, I even dropped by her house and left a note on the doorstep. I know this seems a bit excessive but I couldn't help myself. I care about her too much to just forget what I saw, and what I saw worried me sick for my friend. I told her I wouldn't give up. She knows that, so why is she pushing me away. We are going to have to talk sooner or later; we are English partners after all. I hung my head and walked on to first period English. When I got there Clare was already sitting at her desk reading Pride and Prejudice. _Of course…_ how can something that seemed so perfect be so… broken? I studied Clare for a moment, admiring how beautiful she is and how oblivious she is to the world around her when there's literature in her hand. I shook my head, a small smile approaching my face, as I sat in my desk. Mrs. Dawse strode to the front of the room when the bell rang

"Okay class. Settle down! Today we are going to start a very interesting assignment." The classroom was filled with groans at the word 'assignment'. "Oh hush… this will be rather fun. Your job is to create an essay topic for your partner. It could be anything that comes to mind, as long as its school appropriate people! Now you're on your own, go!" she smile and went back to her desk. This could be interesting… anything I wanted Clare to write about? I smirked at Clare when she turned around, knowing exactly what her essay topic would be….

**Clare's POV**

The blood drained from my face as Mrs. Dawse explained our assignment. It wasn't exactly the assignment that I didn't like, it actually sounds really fun, it's the person I have to do it with. Eli… I had done such a good job avoiding him all weekend… the sweet texts, goofy voicemail, the concerned letter on my doorstep. I wanted so badly just to give in and tell him everything, but I kept reminding myself it is for him. He doesn't need someone like me to complicate his life. I want him to know me as the 'perfect girl' he thought I was. I also have a feeling am not going to like my essay topic… I slowly turned around in my seat, facing the most handsome smirk I have ever seen. My heart leapt at the sight of him. His deep jade green eyes captured mine, leaving me breathless. _Ugh, why does he have such an effect on me…? _

"I know I'm gorgeous, but you don't have to stare Edwards…" he said smoothly, his smirk growing. I couldn't help but smile back. My heart fluttered as I realized this was the first time I smiled since before when I was with Eli on Friday.

"So, should we talk about this assignment? I'm not quite sure what I want you to write about yet so I can just email you when something comes to mind…" Eli's smile vanished at my words. He pulled his lips into a tight line and scrunched his eyebrows.

"How about we just meet up and brainstorm?" he suggested lightly "your house or mine?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Come on Clare. You can't avoid me forever."

"I wasn't avoiding y…" Eli silenced me with a look and lightly out his hand on mine.

"It's okay… you needed your space I guess. I should respect that, but please stop. I don't think I could stand another day of you avoiding me." I looked at Eli's face. He looked… hurt. I contemplated my options for a minute. Keep hurting him by not agreeing to brainstorm with him, or/ spending probably only one measly hour talking about an assignment. I guess it wouldn't hurt to be with him for an hour or so…

"My house. After school." The bell rang by this time. I looked him in the eye once more, confirming the plans, and grabbed my stuff and walked out of the classroom.

**Eli's POV**

"My house. After school." I smiled at her as she tried to give me a stern look. In her eyes it must have seemed authoritive, but in my eyes it was kind of cute in that Clare way. I smirked, grabbed my stuff, and headed to my second period.

XXLuvD98XX

I was walking through the halls to meet Adam outside for lunch. I have a feeling Clare won't be joining us today, but a guy can hope… I saw Adam waving me over, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded and continued walking his way.

"Hey man!" he greeted.

"Sup Adam." We both sat down at the table under our tree. "Where's Clare?..."

"I don't know man… why?"

"Just wondering…"

"Lamest excuse I've ever heard. Just tell me, you like her huh?"

"No, I don't like her… I'm just worried about her. Can't I be concerned about my friend?" he raised his eyebrows and shook his head, a knowing smile crossing his face… but I'm not giving in that easily.

"Okay, you can be concerned about your 'FRIEND', but if I may ask… what is there to be concerned about?" I couldn't help but notice the way he said 'friend'. I glared at him and considered his question… he doesn't know…? I thought he and Clare had been best friends' for years. Is it really that bad for her? To where she can't even share it with her best friend? If she's kept it from Adam for this long, I'm not going to be the one to tell her secret… that would really piss her off. _Then I definitely wouldn't ever have a chance with her… ugh. Here I am thinking of our possible future relationship when she needs me there for her as her friend… what is wrong with me? _I guess I'm going to have to lie… I hate lying to Adam. The things this girl makes me do…

"Just wondering. I haven't seen her since English this morning… where were you by the way?" I slyly changed the subject.

"Oh, I had a doctor's appointment. And nice subject change… this conversation isn't over by the way…" just as he said that, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. I smirked at Adam in victory and stood up to get to my next class. We said our goodbyes and parted ways. I couldn't wait for the day to be over so I could spend some time with Clare after school… and hopefully find out what's going on with her. All I want is for her to trust me… I'm not saying she has to tell me everything she's ever written in her diary. I just hope she will let me in… just this once. With hopeful thoughts in mind I daydreamt through the rest of my classes until the final bell rang.

**Clare's POV**

I groaned as the final bell rang, dreading, yet excited for my afternoon with Eli. Throughout the whole day that's all I could think about. I've probably already thought about all the possible scenarios in this universe dealing with my time with Eli today… a couple lead to pretty steamy moments…_ get your mind out of the gutter, Clare!_ I didn't even get to spend lunch with Adam… but I guess that's my own fault for trying to avoid Eli. He is right though… I can't avid him forever. And lunch in the library, by myself wasn't much fun, but on the bright I got all my homework done, except of course my English… this thought brought me back to Eli… once again. Well it's now or never…

**Well! Done… it's probably rough because once again… I didn't prepare. But tell me in a review! :)I better go but I hope all you guys like this chapter! Plz tell me if u have any suggestions for the story! sorry if its short! ill try to make it longer if you want... tel me in a review?**

**Bye! :)**

**-LuvD98**


	9. confesions

**Hey guys! I hope you all didn't forget about this story yet… sorry for the wait! School and life has been pretty busy lately but I can write in my free time **** thank you for the reviews, I love finding them in my inbox. They make my day! Keep em' coming! Haha. Anyways, enjoy chapter 9 of I Don't Mind!**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Degrassi or any of the characters!**

**Eli's POV**

I waited at the side of Morty in the parking lot of Degrassi after school. I was waiting for Clare when Adam walked down the step and over to me. "Hey Adam."

"Hey, can I get a ride? I either get a ride from you or I have to wait till Drew is done with practice..."

"Sorry man, you're going to have to wait today. Clare is coming over to work on the English assignment" I replied with a sympathetic look.

"And I'm already the third wheel…" he muttered under his breath, looking down. "Haven't you ever heard of bros before hoes?" Adam remarked with a smirk

"Whatever man. Look, I'll give you a ride some other time… just not today" as I said this, we saw Clare approaching the herse. She smiled at Adam and said hey. She looked at us expectantly, waiting for us to fill her in on what she missed. I looked at Adam, hoping he would get the hint...

"Well... I have to umm… see you tomorrow guys!" he slowly started walking backwards before turning around. I opened the door for Clare and gestured for her to get in

"Shall we..?" she nodded and slid in the herse. I gently closed the door before heading to the driver's side and got in, starting the car. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I spotted Adam on the corner. He spun around and looked at me and Clare through the windshield.

"Have fun! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" he yelled, smirking. I flipped him off as I drove by. I glanced over to Clare wondering if she heard. I'm guessing she did by the way she was looking down, her cheeks tinted red. I chuckled and she looked up at me with a questioning look. I simply shook my head and turned back to the road. Clare directed me to her house, in a few minutes we were there. Once I parked, I got out and went around opening her door. She got out and said thank you. I let her lead me up to the door. She bent down and grabbed the key under the mat… I laughed at her unoriginality. She stuck her tongue out at me, seemingly loosened up. We walked into her house and I looked around, noticing how quiet it was.

"Is anyone else home?" I asked her.

"No, my dad is out of town on a business trip…" as she said this her face brightened up. "You can make yourself comfortable" she told me, gesturing to the couch. She then walked into the kitchen. I took this time to look around more closely… she had barely any pictures around, just one of her and another girl that looked just a bit older than her. _A sister maybe..? _There were a few candles sitting on the coffee table along with the remoter to the TV, some teen romance novel, and a bracelet. I picked the bracelet up, examining it. Her name and the name Darcy was embroidered into the tattered, little rope. There was one little star trinket hanging from it. I wondered why she never mentioned this Darcy girl before. Clare walked back into the room, carrying a plate of Oreos and two glasses of milk.

She smiled at me and said "some snacks… I hope this is okay. I didn't really know what you liked."

"Perfect." I told her, returning the smile. She sat down on the love seat next to the couch I was sitting on, setting the Oreos and milk down on the coffee table.

"Should we get started?" she asked as she grabbed her binder from her bag, taking out her pencil and a piece of paper. I nodded, grabbing an Oreo and dunking it in my glass of milk. Clare gave me a weird look, but disregarded it by shaking her head and looking down.

"What?" I asked her. She shook her head again, a small smile appearing with a giggle. "Now you have to tell me, what's so funny?"

"You're a dunker." She stated simply.

"Excuse me?"

"The Oreos, Eli." She laughed. I gave her a look of confusion. "You dunk your Oreos in milk." She bit her plump bottom lip and looked up at me shyly.

"So…? A lot of people do that. What makes me so special?" I asked

"You are special, Eli." She stated quietly. I smirked, feeling the heat rise to my face. Wait, I don't blush! What is this girl doing to me? I looked back up when she started speaking again. "But that's not it. When I was a little girl, I was watching TV with my sister. We had just bought some Oreos and were sitting on the couch when the commercial for Oreos came on. My sister tried to mimic the girl on the TV who had dipped her Oreo in milk. She was being silly and ended up spilling it all over the couch and on my new school top. Mind you, we were little, so to us it was the most hilarious thing in the world. I remember laughing so hard my stomach hurt. We got in so much trouble that day and were banned from eating in the living room from that day forward." She smiled at the memory. "Now I always think of my sister when someone dunks their Oreos. Sorry, I know it's silly…"

"No, it's not. I like hearing you talk about your family. Where is your sister now?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to be pushy, because that worked so well last time…. When she didn't answer I said "it's okay, you don't have to tell me, yet."

"No, I want to tell you" she said after a minute. "Please just bear with me here… I haven't talked to anyone about my family besides Adam, and I can't even tell him everything…"

"You can't tell me anything, Clare. I told you I won't hurt you"

"How do you know that?" she asked her voice cracking.

"Because I care about you too much." She looked up at me with glassy eyes and gave me a small smile.

"My family used to be happy. We relied on each other, we had a designated 'family night', and we went to church every Sunday and sat together. But all that changed. I'm not sure when it all started going downhill. I was too naive to realize it until things escalated. Me and my sister were very close, even with the age difference. She was a freshman in high school when I was in about sixth grade. She wasn't like all the other teenage girls at Degrassi. She was very caring and loyal to her friends and family."

"Sounds like someone I know…" I told her with a smirk. She smiled and continued.

"She started acting different though. She closed herself off from the rest of the family. Her friends started to get worried about her, saying how she was skipping school and cheer practice, so my parents confronted her about it one first she denied that something was up with her but eventually she told mom and dad th- that she… I'm sorry." Clare stopped and evened out her breathes, tears forming in her eyes. I got up from the couch, moving to the love seat and taking her hands. She squeezed my hands, a tear rolling down her cheek. "She was raped. Someone drugged her at a party."

"Damn, I'm sorry Clare."

"It's not your fault. After that my parents started arguing, became very strict and developed a lot of trust issues. The fighting escalated when my dad started 'working' later. My dad would come home very late at night, my mom waiting for him to get home, would ask him where he always is so late at night. I woke up to the sound of shattering glass in the middle of the night. Soon after, my dad started drinking. First, it was coming home drunk, and then he started drinking around the house. My mom found out he had been cheating on for almost a year, even before they found out about Darcy. We would get strange voice mails from women on the house phone. I guess my dad was either too stupid or too drunk to give them his cell phone…" I listened intently as she talked. I can't believe a man could do that to such a perfect family. My eyes were watery, listening to the hurt in Clare's voice. "My dad started to get physical with my mother during their fights. Me and Darcy would lock the door to her room and hide in the closet as our mother had told us to." Tears were streaming down Clare's face at this point. I wiped them away with my thumb, wishing I could take all her pain away. "My mom would come knock on the door after our father had passed out, a new bruise on her face almost every time. She told us everything would be okay. From that day forward we lived in fear from Randall and my mom couldn't take it anymore. She left, leaving me and Darcy. She didn't even say goodbye or leave a note. That's when my dad started taking his anger out on his daughters. The sad thing is that me and Darcy eventually got used to it. Used to coming home from school and being beat. Used to taking care of ourselves when Randall was gone for a night or two, without explanation. Darcy ran away during the middle of her sophomore year. I haven't seen her since and my life hasn't changed much. I still live with a monster I call Randall."

I wrapped my arms around Clare's waist as she sobbed into my shoulder. I hugged her tightly trying to control the shakes coming from her little frame.

**Clare's POV**

My arms were bound tightly around Eli as he rubbed my back soothing. He was the only one keeping me sane right now. Now he knows… this is the moment that he decides I'm too much. That he doesn't need someone like me holding him down. I'm surprised he is still here, so I cherish the moment wishing we could stay like this forever. I hold Eli tighter, hoping he gets the message. He strokes my hair and takes my face in his hands. His deep jade green eyes meet mine. His eyes are glossy and a couple tears have stained his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" I asked him with a shaky voice.

"You don't get it Clare… I hate seeing you in pain. I wish I could take it all away. I would gladly take your place if that meant not seeing you this way." A tear rolls down the side of his face and I gently kiss it away. He pulls me into his lap and whispers in my ear. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again. I will not just stand by and watch you get hurt. I'm here for you Clare, _always._"

"Thank you… but you have to promise me you won't tell anyone." I look at him urgently and he gives me a look of hesitance. "Promise me…"

"Fine, I promise not to tell anyone. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to just forget about everything you've told me. Got it?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less." I said with a smile. He smiled at me and intertwined our fingers.

"What now?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well…" I started while leaning in close. I could feel his breath, my lips centimeters from his… "We should probably get started on that assignment…" I smirked, slowly getting up from his lap and sitting next to him on the love seat. I gave him a shy smile and getting up from the love seat, resting my hand on his upper thigh as support, and bent over to grab the Oreos and milk to bring them back into the kitchen. As I swayed my hips walking to the kitchen, I heard him yell,

"TEASE!" in a playful tone. I looked over my shoulder and saw he had a dazed smirk on his face. _Score one for Clare…_

**How was it? I hope you enjoyed chapter 9 of I Don't Mind! Please leave a review and ANY suggestions you have for this story. Did you guys like the awkward Adam in this chapter? And don't worry; there will be much better scenes of Éclair cuteness in the future. I hope I'm not dragging it out too much for you guys. Again, I'm sorry for the wait. I'm horrible **** until next time!**

**-LuvD98**


	10. Longing for Your Love

**Hey people! Fast enough review?... :P enjoy chapter 10 of I Don't Mind! And I wanted to thank ****xXxThe Phantom's RosexXx ****for leaving such amazing reviews and giving such amazing ideas and positive feedback. I hope you continue to read and enjoy this story! This chapter is mainly going to be éclair fluff… I think we all need this, I know I do! But it probably won't be that long, sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi or it would have more éclair scenes!**

**Clare's POV**

"Eli…. Not now" I scolded him with a giggle. I was leaning against the bookshelf in the library as I shoved him away. "We need to find a good novel for the assignment. Its due in three days and we haven't even started." Eli smirked, _that god damn sexy smirk… _he put his hand behind my head against the bookshelf and lean forward, or chests touching. I gasped in response.

"What's wrong Edwards?" he asked innocently. He took his other hand and placed it flat on my stomach, trapping me, captivating me with his touch. _Two can play at that game… _I brought my hand up behind his neck and started tugging at his hair and licked his collar bone, earning a low groan. "Someone is feisty today…" he said in a husky voice.

I leaned forward, my lips barely touching his ear and whispered "You haven't seen anything yet Mr. Goldsworthy." His hand moved down to my waist and pulled me closer, our bodies molded together now.

"Show me then." He demanded. We leaned in, our breath intermingling…

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEE-

I smacked my alarm in grogginess and annoyance. _It felt so real…_ Ugh! Why did that have to be a dream… I thought longingly. As I thought more and more about the dream, I realized how much my feelings for Eli have grown. He was there for me last night, even when I expected him to leave. After our talk, we didn't even start the assignment. We talked for the rest of the afternoon and evening. About our families, our likes and dislikes, and everything and anything else. He made me feel so alive, with all is witty comments, all the sweet comments that get my heart pumping and my face flushing. Time slows down when I'm with Eli, it's like all my problems disappear and we are the only two people in the world, and I love him for that. _Wait, did I just say love?.. I meant that's what I like about him._ At this point I'm smiling into my pillow trying to contain myself at the thought of Eli. I get out of bed and walk to my closet ready to take on the day. I pick out a lacey tank top with a long sleeve, blue cardigan and skinny blue jeans. I add yellow flats for a pop of color. I lay my outfit on the bed, satisfied and walk into the bathroom. I take a quick shower, dry my hair, and put on cover up, to make sure I hide the bruises and a bit of mascara and lip gloss. I get dressed, look in the mirror and tousle my curls, satisfied with the results… _I hope Eli will be too._

**Eli's POV**

I look in the mirror before I leave my phone, making sure to grab my phone and backpack. I text Clare as I walk to the kitchen.

**To: Blue eyes**

**Need a ride? ;)**

"Good morning!" my mom says happily as I sit down at the kitchen counter. "You came in late last night…" she said, he smile widening.

"Yeah, so? Were you waiting up for me?"

"Were you with Clare?" my mom asked excitedly. Aren't normal moms supposed to get mad when their son stays out late with a girl without telling them. But here she is trying to get "juicy" information from me. I shake my head in amusement.

"Yes mom, I was with Clare." She lets out a squeal and I chuckle. Just then my phone vibrates on the countertop. I pick it up, a new text. I smile down at my phone.

**From: Blue eyes**

**Please? Can't wait to see you.**

"That must be Clare… baby boy, I am so happy for you!"

"Mom, we aren't together…" I groaned " and how did you know that was Clare. It could have been Adam for all you know"

"You wouldn't smile like that if it was a text from Adam. And believe me, if you and Clare aren't together now, you will be soon…" I feel the heat rise to my face and know that is my cue to go.

"I have to go pick up Clare. See you later" I grab an apple and my backpack and head for Morty.

"Love you baby boy! Have fun!" I roll my eyes at my mom's comment. I realize I hadn't even texted Clare back yet.

**To: Blue eyes**

**In that case, I'll be there as soon as I can! ;)**

As I'm driving to Clare's, I think about last night and how I and Clare could talk forever if possible. We had so much in common and I love spending time with her. I hope this 'friendship grows into something more because I know for a fact that I'm falling in love with Clare Edwards. she haunted my every thought, even my dreams. It was so hard to leave her last night, but eventually I had to. I got home at 1 AM and still couldn't get her out of my head. My dream didn't help my train of thought this morning either… _my dream was pretty steamy but the real thing would be much better. _I shook my head of those thought, trying to focus on the road in front of me. I finally arrived at Clare's house after what felt like eternity. I got out of morty ready to knock on the door, when I spotted Clare sitting on her front porch. My heart stopped at the sight of her. She looked beautiful as always, but there was something different about today.

"Took you long enough" she teased with a smile. We met each other have way.

" Well I'm sorry. Someone's a bit eager this morning." She blushed and looked down. I played with her fingers and tipped her face up to look at me. I smirked and looked into her blue orbs. "Don't be ashamed, blue eyes. It's cute… and" I leaned closer , dropping my hand from her chin "I missed you too." I took a couple steps backwards "ready?" she looked dazed and her breath shook as she said "sure…" _And another point for Eli…" _I smirked at her in victory and walked to the passenger side, opening the door for Clare as she followed. We got in, making our way to Degrassi high school.

When we got to school Adam was sitting on the steps of Degrassi. Me and Clare walked towards him and greeted him a good morning. "well, well, well, what do we have her?" he said as he eyed us. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Clare. We had no space between us. Clare's arm touching mine, and hands a near centimeter apart. _If only I could just take a hold of her hand… _"you guys must have had a good night" Adam teased. Clare tries to hide her smile by burying her face in my arm. I use this opportunity to mouth to Adam to _Shut Up._ He puts his hands up innocently as defense.

RING RING RIIIING! The bell signals us to go to our next class. Adam walks ahead of us and says "time to go love birds" I roll my eyes and usher Clare up the stairs. Adam goes his separate way, leaving me and Clare alone… Finally. I walk Clare to her first class. She leans against the wall next to the door

"Thank you for the ride." She says sweetly.

"Anytime, Edwards." a loud voice interrupts our moment.

"Clare Edwards get to class. You too Goldsworthy!" Mr. Moreno boomed. Clare jumped at the sound of his voice and shyly waved goodbye. I pulled her back by the hand a kissed her on the cheek before walking away. She smiled and slowly walked into her classroom.

**Clare's POV**

He was all I could think of during first period, thankfully I was heading to English now. My cheeks still burned from where he kissed me this morning. Just the thought mad me grin. I walked in, immediately spotting Eli with Adam in the back of the room, like always. Eli looked up when I walked in, I smiled and went to sit in front of him.

"how has your day been so far?" I asked him

"Amazing, now." He smiled at me. _Wait, did he just smile? Not a smirk, a smile._ "what? Is there something on my face?"

"No… you smiled. Like, a real smile. Not a smirk." I beamed. He laughed

"I smile Clare, you just have to be special enough to make me."

"what's so special about little old' me?" I joked

"you're the most special person I have ever met blue eyes." I realized how quiet it was in the room. I looked around, everyone was staring at us as we faced each other, closer than normal. Mrs. Dawes stood in the front of the room, her arms crossed. She eyed me and Eli with an amused expression.

"Can I start my class now, Mr. and Mrs. Goldsworthy?" I could hear Adam trying to suppress his laughter with very little success as my face flushed crimson. I mouthed sorry to Mrs. Dawse and looked back at Eli who just looked back at me smiling. "since you two have so much to say this morning, which one of you would like to read your essay out loud first?" I nervously looked around and was about to answer when I heard Eli speak up.

"I'm afraid we don't have it today Mrs. Dawse. We were both a bit busy yesterday. May we have an extension?"

"Very well, but now I get to pick the subject. You both get to write about a time or times when you've felt loved most. Fits well, doesn't it? Have it in by the end of the week."

I already knew what I was writing about, well, more like who I was writing about.

**how did you like it? sorry for it being short or boring. please leave a review! tell me what you thougt**

**-LuvD98**


	11. Oportunities and interuptions

**Hey guys… not feeling so well **** but at least that gives me extra time to write! I've been trying to post faster but maybe I should start waiting a little longer so people can start getting into the story a bit more? I didn't get that many reviews (or views for that matter)… which made me kind of sad. But I'm still going to write for those of you who like this story! Don't worry, there is more to come. How was the last chapter? Hope you liked it… anyway enjoy chapter 11 of I Don't Mind. Read and Review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi **

**Clare's POV**

I'm in the bathroom before lunch, checking myself in the mirror. As I'm looking in the mirror, I think about this morning, about Eli and our new English assignment, Adam laughing at us, and the kiss Eli planted right on my cheek as I was about to enter my history class. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face. I've never felt like this towards anyone, not even Kc. I straighten out the nonexistent wrinkles in my dark denim jeans before leaving the restroom. I walk out to our lunch table under the big oak tree in hopes that Eli and Adam would already be there, sadly they weren't. I shrug, deciding I will just catch up on some reading while I wait for them. The shade of the oak tree feels nice in the heat of day, especially since I'm wearing my long sleeve cardigan._ It's your fault you can't take it off…_ I told myself. I gently pull up the sleeve to reveal the partially new and old cuts on my inner forearm. I trace them with my fingers in deep thought. How did my life come to this? I frown slightly, remembering the last time I cut… right before I got to know Eli. The thought of him brings a smile to my face._ Wow… bipolar much?_ I shake my head, feeling silly. I hear footsteps behind me and I quickly pull down my sleeve. I turn around and see Eli giving me a confused look.

"What are you hiding, Edwards?"

"Oh nothing. Where is Adam?" I ask trying to change the subject. Just as I ask, Adam walk up from behind Eli.

"Sorry. Long line today." He says holding up his pizza. He walks around Eli, who is still looking at me intently, and sits down across from me. When Adam isn't paying attention, Eli mouths _later _to me, with a pointed look and sits down next to me. Our thighs are touching and the proximity is enough to make my head spin. I bite my lip and look down, not excited for the conversation soon to come.

"So… what are you guys going to write for the assignment Mrs. Dawse gave you in English…?" Adam said with a smug smile. I hide my face in my hands, giggling at the situation we got ourselves into. "What about you Mrs. Goldsworthy?" Adam asked, laughing. I heard Eli let out a small laugh and looked at him, noticing the small blush that caressed his face, but probably nothing compared to mine.

"You just think you're so funny…" I said to Adam.

"I'm not the only one." He said gesturing towards Eli. Eli turned to me and smirked.

"You know you love it Edwards…" I gave him a look of shock and humor. "Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, Mrs., Goldsworthy." I couldn't help how his voice dropped an octave lower, almost sounding husky. A sure of confidence flowed through me.

"You're just disappointed that it's not true…" I said cockily.

"Oh! Burn!" Adam laughed loudly and then with all seriousness said "very true though…" Eli turned to him, giving him a death glare.

"Okay, okay. I think that's enough boys. Let's talk about something more serious…" I said, a thought coming to my mind. The two boys gave me their attention. "Like what we are going to do tonight… I was thinking movie night at casa de Clare?" I suggested, the thought sounding even more appealing than before. This is a once in a while opportunity since Randall is out of town. "Randall, my dad," I clarified "is out of town, so I think it's time the misfits hang out again."

"Boo-ya! I'll bring the snacks!" Adam exclaimed.

"I got the movies… best idea yet Edwards." Eli said quickly.

"It's settled then." I said with a smile. "My house around 6?" the boys nodded in agreement. With that the bell rings and we go our separate ways.

XXXXXXXX

**Eli's POV**

I look in the mirror, making sure I look okay for movie night at Clare's. I adjust my dead hand t-shirt and grab my rings from the dresser, ready to go. Making my way down the stairs I see my mom and dad cuddling up on the couch watching a movie… well, acted like they were once they heard my footsteps. Sometimes I wonder if the will ever get past the "love struck teen" phase…. But I love them anyways. My mom smiles at me smugly. "Where are you going baby boy?"

"Movie night at Clare's with her and Adam." I say casually, maybe a bit too casually, because Bullfrog chuckles.

"Sure… movie night."

"Yes dad, movie night. See?" I ask him pointedly holding up the movies I am bringing.

"Well, have fun and tell Clare we say hi." My mom instructs me, much too enthusiastic.

"Sure thing mom." NOT. I'll be back later, not sure what time. Bye, love ya guys." I say as I'm walking out the door. "USE PROTECTION!" I roll my eyes at my dad's comment and continue on my way.

I arrive at Clare's house at about I'm walking up to the door, a surge of nervousness flows through me. _I NEVER get nervous! This girl…_ I shake it off and ring the doorbell. A few seconds later Clare appears at the open door. I can't help but do a double take when I realize how gorgeous she looks. How can she make a pair of black sweats and a simple, fitted, long sleeve purple V-neck look so good? _Although, what DOESN'T Clare look good in? _

"Hey! Come in." she greets me. "Got the movies?" I nod my head and hold up the bag. "Awesome!" she says brightly. Wait until she sees the selection… I smile inwardly at my devious plan. I notice all of the lights in the living room are of, except for a string of simple white lights above the couch and the light from the TV screen. There are extra blankets on the couch and the spot in front of the couch is made up into another spot someone could sit and watch the TV screen.

"Nice set-up… what's the occasion?" I joked, wiggling my eyebrows. Clare laughed and sat on the loveseat. I follow suit and decide to sit next to her rather than on the couch.

"Definitely not what you're thinking Elijah." She looks at me and bats her eyelashes. My full name, really?

"Oh really now? Then tell me Blue eyes… what WAS I thinking? I was merely talking about this little friendly get-together…" I spoke innocently. Her face turned red.

"Sure you were Goldsworthy…" she contorts

"Oh, and nice outfit" I told her with a smirk, tugging at her sweats. "If I would have known, I would have dressed in my pajamas too." I teased. "Although, my sleep attire might not be very appropriate for this type of occasion." I can tell I caught her off guard with that comment, but like always, Clare is full of surprises.

"You think I wear this much clothing to bed?" she pauses "think again Mr. Goldsworthy…" she's leaning a bit towards me now and I can't help but eye the milky white skin of her chest for a split second. Clare realizes the how close we are and almost instantaneously, the mood in the air changes. I gaze into her blue orbs as she stares into my green ones. I glance at her lips then back into her eyes. She leans closer and our chests are touching, my back resting on the armrest of the little loveseat….

"HONEY, IM HOME!"

Clare jumps back in surprise and I immediately stand to my feet. "WOAH… what's going on here?..." _Curse you Adam…_ I growl in my head. I quickly look over at Clare and see her biting her lip in embarrassment. Her face is beat red and she is awkwardly sitting on the loveseat.

"Nothing." I answer quickly "well, now that you're here…" I mumble under my breath.

"What was that Eli…?" Adam asks in amusement.

"What took you so long?" I asked, trying to change the subject. Luckily, Adam dropped it and dumped his back of goodies on the coffee table.

"This… is what took me so long!" he must have had every type of candy you could think of. I chuckled at his childish behavior. "And if we run out, there is more in the car!"

"I think we have enough for the next three movie nights Adam! We aren't bottomless pits like you…" Clare spoke up for the first time since Adam burst through the door.

"Speak for yourself, woman!" I exclaimed and grabbed the bag of sour patch kids from the table. She laughed and shook her head.

"Okay, we know the snack selection. What movies did you bring, Eli? She asked me. Me and Adam exchanged amused expressions and I grabbed my bag from the loveseat. I spread them out on the table with the candy. Clare's expression went numb.

"Really, Eli? You know I hate scary movies!" she whined. Me and Adam snickered.

"Exactly."

**Don't hate me! I usually wouldn't leave it like this, but I thought it was the perfect spot to end it for tonight. Leave a review and tell me what you think! Hope you enjoyed! Sorry, it's a bit short this time.**

**-LuvD98**


	12. Movie Night

**He guys! How are you? I've just been having this crazy urge to keep writing, I hope that's not hurting this story in any way. I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes. I would like to thank xXxThe Phantom's RosexXx for giving me such amazing reviews after reading my story and for the awesome constructive criticism they gave me! I'm really going to take that into consideration and proof read my chapters before I post them. Sorry if I confused anyone with the mistakes in any of my chapters! And go check out xXxThe Phantom's RosexXx stories! Her work is amazing! She is a very talented writer.**

**Anyway! Enjoy chapter 12 of I Don't Mind. And please leave a review telling me what you thought!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, obviously, or I wouldn't be writing fan fiction. I would be writing the REAL THING!**

**Clare's POV**

_Of course he would bring horror movies… _I just hope I can get through this night alive. I glare at Eli as he spreads out the movies on the coffee table. I cringe as he reads the titles out loud. Of course, I haven't seen any of them, but I heard they are pretty scary.

"Okay… we have Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Last House on the Left, The Unborn, Saw II, Sorority Row, and Mirrors. What shall we watch first…?" E li wiggles his eyebrows and rubs his hands together manically.

"How about none of them…" I suggested. Adam laughed at my nervousness.

"Come on, Clare. We'll start off with something easy… how about Sorority Row? It's when a prank goes wrong leading to one sorority sister coming back to get her revenge." Eli explains. "The back says 'sisters forever'" he lowers his voice into a sinister whisper. I groan "it's not that bad… and if you get scared you can always cuddle up to me. I'll protect you…" he suggests teasingly, touching his heart.

"In your dreams Goldsworthy." I smirk, rolling my eyes.

"How did you know what my dreams look like, Edwards?" I was about to respond when Adam interrupts.

"I would just love to stand here and listen to you guys tease each other like an old married couple, but we don't have all night." Adam intervenes, and then under his breath says "well, Eli might…" I giggle when I see Eli's face tint red. He clears his throat.

"Sorority Row it is?" Eli asks quickly and puts the DVD in the player. Adam throws himself onto the loveseat, grabbing candy on the way. I roll my eyes playfully at Adam. I grab a Kit-Kat bar from the table and plop down on the right side of the couch, stretching my legs out over the middle of it. Eli makes his way towards the couch. I'm about to move my legs when he puts a hand up to stop me. He gently lifts my legs and sits more towards the middle of the couch, rather than the opposite side…_not that I'm complaining…_ and sets my legs over his lap. I can see him smile at me through the darkness as the opening scene starts to play. Eli grabs the blanket beside him and throws it over us. Adam notices our position.

"Don't get too comfortable, love birds. There is someone else in the room…"

"Shut up, man…" Eli growls, jokingly. Adam chuckles, shaking his head and turn his attention back to the TV screen.

Not even half way through the movie, my legs are curled up to my chest and I'm burying my head into my legs. I peek up through my lashes at Eli and see him laughing at me. I slap him in the arm, blaming him for this.

"Ouch, woman. That's abuse…" he feigns hurt.

"I can do much more than that, Elijah." I say slowly before hiding my face once again. He leans close and moves my knees to get a better look at my face.

"Is that a promise…" he asks smoothly, smirking. We are looking into each other's eyes, when a blood curdling scream from the movie interrupts the silence. I let out a screech and jump forward, clinging onto Eli' arm. He snorts at my reaction, but nevertheless, pulls me towards him to rest on his chest.

"I told you I would protect you." He whispers sweetly to me. I relax into his touch and smile to myself. This just feels so right. Being in his arms, my head on his chest, it all just seems so unreal. I never thought I would feel this way again… to love and feel loved. At this thought, I snuggled into Eli's chest a little deeper while he securely wrapped his arms around me and I slowly drifted to sleep, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

**Eli's POV**

I look down at the beautiful girl in my arms, relishing the feeling. I'm so glad Adam gave me this idea; I knew these scary movies would lead to something as amazing as this… well, at least I hoped it would. Adam looked over from his spot on the loveseat for the first time since the movie started, and gave me thumbs up, while mouthing _'finally'_. I smirked, ignoring his comment and closed my eyes, sleep suddenly coming over me.

A few hours later I woke up to see the credits rolling on the TV screen. I lift my head trying to shake off the grogginess, to find Clare's face inches from mine. I'm flat on my back, my arms wrapped around her and my hand clasped on her lower back. She is lying on her stomach flush against my body, her legs draped on either side of my hips. Her head is laid lightly on my shoulder, her hands clutching the fabric of my shirt. A content smile slips onto my face…_ I really like this new position we got going on…_ I move a curl from Clare's face. Careful not to wake her up. I glance over at the loveseat, only to find it empty. I scan the room for Adam, but find a note on my pillow instead. I move slowly, in hopes I don't wake Clare, and open the note. It reads:

_Mr. and Mrs. Goldsworthy,_

_When the movie ended, I got a call from my mom telling me I needed to get home. I had a pretty good time, although maybe we could keep the flirting to a minimum next time…? :P I didn't have the heart to wake you guys when you looked so comfortable ;) See you at school!_

_The Third Wheel and your best friend :D,_

_Adam_

I almost laughed out loud when I read Adams ridiculous note. Although, I was kind of thankful that he didn't wake me up from one of the best sleeps I've ever gotten in my life. I decided to get a bit more shut-eye…

**SLAM!**

"**What the hell is going on here!"**

I jolted awake in confusion, along with Clare, who stood up immediately. I hope to my feet to see a man that looks like he's in his 50's stagger towards Clare. My protective instinct kicks in and I immediately put distance between them by pulling Clare behind me and stepping towards the tall, drunken man.

"Dad… please. Stop! I'm sorry. Eli was just leaving…" Clare whined helplessly. _So this is her psychotic, alcoholic father… I should've known._

"Shut up bitch!" he slurred "How dare you bring men into this house and act like the whore you are. You remind me of your sister! I leave for a week and you're already bringing strange men into this house and have sex on my couch?! You're such a sl-"

"Sir!" I interrupted "I'm sorry, but it's not what it looks like." Clare tugs on my sleeve and shakes her head, begging me to stop talking. I ignore her pleas. "We were just watching a movie when we fell asleep and-"

"Sure! Fell asleep, like I haven't heard that one before… GET OUT!" I stood my ground.

"Sir, I'm not leaving Clare here with you just so you can hurt her out of your pity anger." I took a step forward with my hands up, trying to send him the message that I mean no harm. Unless he messes with Clare. I already have half a mind to slaughter him right here for what he has already done to Clare.

"Clare is my daughter and I tell her what she can and can't do and where she can and can't go! I told you to leave!" he shoves my shoulder roughly, advancing towards me once more.

"DAD!" Clare shouts. "Stop it! Please just leave him alone…" her dad glares at her intently, now taking a step towards her. I shove him back with all my might, making his drunken ass fall to the floor. I grab Clare's hand. _I need to get her out of her… away from HIM. I'm not going to let her get hurt._  
>"Let's go!" I pull her with me towards the door. Before I can process what has happened, Clare's dad has grabbed her leg, making her tumble to the floor. He pulls her closer to him, grabbing a handful of hair. She lets out a screech of pain, sending me over the edge. I kick him in the face before climbing on top of him. He rolls us over, the tables turning, and punches me in the face. I hear Clare's frantic cries in the background. I push him off me harshly, punching him in the face over and over until he seems to be coming in and out of consciousness. Clare is crying for me to stop.<p>

"Eli, please…" her voice brings me back to reality. I slowly get up, not turning my back on the disturbed man in front of me. In a daze, I walk over to Clare and wrap my arms around her, which she gladly returns, and let her cry into my shoulder… I hate seeing her like this… I hate that she had to see me lose control like that. I know we need to leave. I lift Clare's chin to make her look at me. There are tears streaming down her face. I put both hands on either side of her face, using my thumbs to massage her temples soothingly, her auburn curls soft to the touch.

"We need to go... you can stay at my house" after a second, she nodded her head, taking my hand.

And with that, we walked out of the house, and away from the monster inside it.

**Awl! Well, another quick update. Leave a review and tell me what you thought or something I can do to make it better? Oh, and I might have a couple ideas for a new story, should I start another? And sorry, not very good with action scenes…**

**-LuvD98**


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